The Bersa's Final Test

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Well, I finally managed to finish off the testing on my Bersa Thunder 380. She passed on rapid firing, meaning she didn't blow up.

However, she has failed the test overall and I am now stuck. Her punishment for failing was suppossed to be a new seat on the consignment shelf, but it appears this may not be an option for her. I can't bring myself to subject someone else to her.

Not once but twice her slide closed on its own. I put 50 rounds through her and two times as I was loading up I would push in the magazine and the slide would close and chamber a round as a reaction to the magazine being put in. Hands nowhere near the slide release.

We didn't have any accidental discharges, but it made me very nervous.

She handled being fired very well, and kept her accuracy as best as my hands could keep it. But those two times that the slide release slipped really bothered me. I've given this gun chances a plenty at this point. This will be the final chance.

I am going to speak with the gunsmith one more time and I will also be contacting Bersa. If this can't be resolved, I'm not sure what I am going to do. I had a standing offer made not long ago to sell her to someone for spare parts, and I might have to take the offer.

As for the other two guns, they shot well as usual. The Smith & Wesson even got its first chance to be rapid fired and held up to it very well. It proved to be a very easy gun to rapid fire, and as usual a very pleasant gun to shoot. He got fondled by several people there today and behaved himself very well.

My Sig is always good on the range. Did something new today that may not have proved to be smart, but hey! Another gentleman there also had a Sig P226 but his was chambered for 357 SIG. I have considered getting a barrel for mine so I can do 357 SIG rounds occassionally as well, so I wanted to compare the difference to see if it was worth it. Best way? Side by side. So I shot them both at the same time. Well, not at the same time, but one in each hand and I went back and forth for every other round. That actually proved to not be as difficult as I had imagined, and it was fun, but I did take it slow while doing this. I do like the round, but I am not sure I want to dish the cash for another barrel.

Several guns do that, depending on how hard ya throw the mag in. SOme people actually WANT that feature. And, on other boards, I have seen some people upset that their newest gun (whatever it is) DOESN'T do that - they considered it a malfunction if it didn't do it.

I personally don't want the slide to close on its own, and most guns don't unless U really slam it home.

But, if that is all it is, I would still use it for carry. I don't typically carry an extra mag anyway (although, I have 11 rounds total in my P99c - if I had less, I might).

If U can go another 200 rounds w/o a jam, I'd say its fixed. I would carry it if thatw as the only issue with it.

I still might drop it off with a gunsmith. I don't keep a round chambered in the gun when I carry it, as a rule. I'll carry my Sig chambered, but this one I just don't trust enough. But I've heard a few stories about the Bersa having some ADs and generally I pass those stories off, but I can see how it could happen.

However, the Bersa is also not a comfy carry, it is actually very painful to carry. So it is going to end up being just an ankle gun either way.

It's weird because everyone I know who has one completely loves it. One of the guys I work with has two of them and he swears by them. I've sold a few, too, and the owners are in love with them. I think I got the last one made at the end of the day. LOL!

Well, I finally managed to finish off the testing on my Bersa Thunder 380. She passed on rapid firing, meaning she didn't blow up.

Not once but twice her slide closed on its own. I put 50 rounds through her and two times as I was loading up I would push in the magazine and the slide would close and chamber a round as a reaction to the magazine being put in. Hands nowhere near the slide release.

Originally Posted by SuckLead

I still might drop it off with a gunsmith. I don't keep a round chambered in the gun when I carry it, as a rule.
However, the Bersa is also not a comfy carry, it is actually very painful to carry.

Originally Posted by jwkimber45

No offense SL, but if you don't trust it enough to carry with a round chambered, perhaps it shouldn't be carried!!!!! An unloaded gun is good for only one thing, throwing at the BG.

As long as that's all it does, I wouldn't worry about the slide releasing when you insert a mag. I have several guns that the slide releases when I slam a mag in, all it does for me is speed up my reload. Why would have it "blown up"?

If it's not comfortable to carry leave it home and find something better.

I agree with JW, if you can't carry it loaded and ready to go, leave it home.

The whole "blow up" thing is just a basis of the last few months I've owned it. This slide release thing is new.

And I already beat you to that one. I had bought this thing to conceal because I was having trouble getting a holster for my Sig. I have since found a holster for the Sig, but it is still a really big gun to be concealing. So because I haven't had a whole lot of faith in my Bersa and the Sig is too big, I don't really even carry concealed anymore. I'd love to get another gun for concealed, I have my eye on a few different ones, but sadly I couldn't even afford a Hi-Point at the moment.

I was looking at the Bersa Thunder .380 again today at the range. Did you say the automatic slide release started after the gun was broken in? The one I played with today did not automatically release when I inserted the empty mag. I didn't test fire it today, so I don't know if it would have handled differently if the mag had been loaded.

Are you still unsure of the gun, or do you trust it now?

They also brought out the Firestorm and told me it was the same gun, different grip. Anyone know if this is true?

If the pistol is not designed so that the slide closes automatically when a new mag is inserted then something is wrong with pistol if it does so. I guess it could be something as simple as a mag follower or a slide stop not being correct.

If a shooter is slamming in mags with enough force to knock the slide free it won't be long before the mag feed lips are damaged, provided the pistol isn't designed as such.

I was looking at the Bersa Thunder .380 again today at the range. Did you say the automatic slide release started after the gun was broken in? The one I played with today did not automatically release when I inserted the empty mag. I didn't test fire it today, so I don't know if it would have handled differently if the mag had been loaded.

Are you still unsure of the gun, or do you trust it now?

They also brought out the Firestorm and told me it was the same gun, different grip. Anyone know if this is true?

WM

It only happened to me twice, honestly, but on the same day. It is really the only time I rapid fired the gun. But when you are shooting fast and drop the mag then hit another one, it closes on it's own. It won't do it just putting the magazine in like normal. From what a good number of Bersa owners have told me, the gun is actually designed to do this. I hear the term "combat feature" thrown around a lot, but I never saw this gun as a "combat weapon."

I carry the gun still. But I will admit I do not chamber a round. Now that the cold weather is here I will probably be carrying my Sig more often then the Bersa. Only because I don't have an issue carrying my Sig with a round chambered. Haven't decided if I want to sell the Bersa or not, but probably won't since it is worth next to nothing on a resell.

This isn't a flame, I'm just curious.
Why would you carry a gun without a round in the chamber?

It's better than nothing (which is what I would have without the Bersa). Besides, we're not allowed to have rounds chambered at work (that included one armored company) so I got good at chambering fast.